2008′s Pemberton Festival set the tone for BC festivals. Although many smaller fests have happened over the years (the Virgin Music festival made an impact but seemingly ended here in 2009, the occasional UBC Thunderbird Stadium event) there is nothing like what the rest of the world, and the rest of Canada is used to.

Last year’s Live At Squamish was it’s premiere, and so with the relatively young event in it’s second year, MVRemix had to see how the experience fared.

With the first year having Dirty Vegas, Z Trip, The Decemberists and Devo on the bill, the second year boasted some comparatively bigger names and also a heftier ticket prices. While the two-day passes in 2010 went for $145.50 as the date got closer, this year it was bumped up to $190 if you waited until the last minute to grab yours. Day passes were also $10 more and even more expensive if you waited to grab tickets at the door.

One of the festival’s smartest moves this year was bringing the dates forward so as not to compete with Bumbershoot in Seattle (which they went head to head with in 2010). Bumbershoot charges considerably less for arguably bigger names (this year will cost $90 for three day tickets).

As we approached the festival grounds (after mistakenly thinking that staying in Whistler would be a shorter trek than staying in Vancouver) my sunscreen had worn off completely and the day’s burn would be setting in soon. Of course once you reach a festival, re-applying sunscreen ends up being futile as bands are constantly performing at one end of the field or another, so you can only apply the cream in the sun (which is not quite as effective as letting it soak in beforehand). For a moment I found the maps confusing but I figured that was more me and the heat, but within a few minutes the festival ground’s layout became extremely familiar.

The smaller of the two stages (another difference from 2010, they removed a stage) was at the one end and the larger (Stawamus) at the other. Food vendors in between and a row of portable toilets, plus small entertainment/activities surrounding the mainstage.

The Proper Villains kicked off the Garibaldi stage. Rapper XO the Show began by staring at the crowd, and slamming his arms in the air to start the band’s music before jumping back and slipping. Now as these guys were the festival’s first performers, and winners of the METRO Presents competition, I’m guessing the slip was accidental. Regardless, XO continued on without paying any attention to his fall and got right into their set. As a group, The Proper Villains weren’t the typical sound I’m used to enjoying, but live their set was strong, energetic, smiling and definitely entertaining. So much so that you didn’t have to love the lyrics to enjoy what you were seeing.

The Proper Villains

It seemed as if the Stawamus stage (which has Squamish’s Stawamus Chief provincial park behind it) was the setting for the weekend’s picnic audience. Many hundreds came to the festival equipped with blankets and a passionate desire to sit and watch the stage as opposed to stand, dance, and really get into the sets. 25 year old band She Stole My Beer bore the brunt of this as the day began because their catalogue to a good number of the younger crowd wasn’t familiar and thus most just sat, listened and stared.

Kim Churchill, soundcheck

The Garibaldi stage was delayed an average of 20 minutes in it’s sets following Kim Churchill. The Australian one man band stood checking his sound for 15-20, ensuring that when he did begin, his material would come off as true to his intentions as possible. Though we all felt frustrated watching his tuning, it proved worth it. After a while, Kim simply swapped guitars and despite the delays he started well, captivating the audience, greeted by a passionate roar after their wait. Minutes in the beach balls began flying, as did the audience’s unison clapping sessions. The festival had properly begun.

As with several other festivals, aside from the main acts, smaller groups seem forced to perform their own soundchecks just prior to coming on stage themselves (without their roadies measuring sound on the monitors). This was the case here with Sweet Thing, with the audience feeling awkward watching their artist check their sound, then leave momentarily, only to be introduced and return to the stage 45 seconds later. When their set started a fraction the crowd gave a huge reception, running to the stage and jumping. It was a pity that more didn’t join until later in the evening. The group kicked off with “Over Me” and despite great performance, and the occasional lone dancer amidst the picnic crowd, most remained planted on blankets. Sweet Thing did a great job, it’s sad the audience didn’t validate that.

Though many quipped about the PS3 kiosk a distance from the Stawamus stage being ridiculous, I would have to disagree. I too thought the same thing, until I indulged and had the experience of playing on a PS3 outdoors with live music playing to the side of me. What struck me as ridiculous were the $50 hoodies and overpriced festival clothing. I would advise that Canadian festivals take a leaf out of the US’ festival pricing, but then I thought about our two economies.

Predictably Garibaldi’s stage was busiest during Emily Haines & James Shaw‘s acoustic set. The two Metric artists have been recording for a while and not performing, so Live at Squamish having two very different performances was a treat for the group’s fans. Performing hits like “Combat Baby” and “Help, I’m Alive” won over the masses in seconds. Haines’ voice live is just as lovely as on their recordings.

Clearly more of a Rock than Rap festival, Kyprios and Shad‘s sets were based on the smaller stage and didn’t have the audience they deserved. Live rap has changed quite a bit over the past five years, with many artists favouring more of a Roots type of performance including a full band behind them. This was true with both Kyprios and Shad. After Emily Haines and James Shaw’s acoustic set, the Garibaldi stage shrank. It had nothing to do with Kyprios, or later on Shad, but the rock audience were off to Stawamus to take in Hey Ocean and Stars.

With an avantgarde look which included shorts, a short sleeved t-shirt, tie, smart Kangol style hat and backpack, the North Vancouver MC leapt around the stage performing in front of his full band which included a sax player, and trumpet player amongst other instruments. With the signature Hip Hop call and response performance, Kyprios kept his ever growing audience entertained. He ended his set with “This Is My Hit.”

As Canada’s next big rapper, the Juno award winning Shad also took the Garibaldi stage backed up by a live band. His stellar performance and renditions of TSOL songs were met warmly, and the fact that he was able to perform with the initial mic feedback was a testament to his desire not to simply fixate on minor technical issues. His set was fun, the DJ shining as well and as the cliche goes, there was a certain aroma in the crowd…

Stars served as one of the evening’s highlights. With strong live versions of their songs, roses being thrown into the crowd and the start of people crowding the stage, the group engaged in bold and witty quips as well as MPC dabbling and powerful basslines. Torquil Campbell has an amazing stage presence, forehead and neck veins proving his desire to sound a specific way.

The Stawamus stage reached a fever pitch as the John Butler Trio took their position as one of the final acts of the night. With such a sizable audience for the trio, the burlesque set put on by Sweet Soul Burlesque and the subsequent set by Andy Clockwork had extremely insignificant numbers watching, which was a pity. Especially considering Clockwork’s talented dancers, complete with their hula hoops.

The trio’s massive audience (a lot of which that were now on their feet) managed to soak in Butler’s instrumental pieces, drum offs and hits like “Used To Get High,” “Better Than,” “Caroline,” “I’d Do Anything” and “Treat Yo Mama.” Thankfully, from JBT onwards, picnic festival goers became outnumbered tenfold.

John Butler Trio’s vibe provided a great feeling to all those in attendance. Clapping, interacting with the crowd, encouraging the crowd to turn away from the stage and on a count of 4, face the stage and dance crazily. People remained in awe with John Butler in control. The set ended on huge high note, Butler quipping about Jazz flutes and such. Surreal and worth the more expensive ticket price.

Girl Talk addressing his crowd.

As the John Butler Trio set ended, a guy began handing out UNO cards to members of the audience in the front row. These UNO cards would enable the audience members to head backstage and at the right point, a few minutes into Girl Talk‘s set, the UNO card holding audience were encouraged on stage to dance to the set.

Girl Talk soon emerged from the darkness to a Black Sabbath/Ludacris mash up, and within seconds the sea of standing crowd members were flailing their limbs, having the time of their lives. One of Girl Talk’s entourage came out equipped with a gun like machine to shoot toilet paper around, one even being caught on the crane used to film the event for the large projection screens.

The Girl Talk set was a great way to wrap up the day. Mixing all genres of music in his signature mash up style was definitely the right choice. Plus those who were ready for more got to head over to the other stage for a cool set by Donald Glaude.

With gates opening at 2PM, you should be aware of what’s going on and when, so that you can plan out what not to miss. As with any music festival, you may have to cut some sets short or miss some in order to experience your chosen performer’s live show in full.

Below is the breakdown of who’s performing and when.

The Proper Villains – Garibaldi Stage @ 3:30PM
Vancouver’s The Proper Villains are an alternative Hip Hop group that are currently wrapping up their 10 song debut album. The group won METRO daily paper’s competition and thus will have something to prove as they kick off the festival.

She Stole My Beer – Stawamus Stage @ 3:55PM
She Stole My Beer are a well known band that have been performing in the Vancouver area for a while now, although it has been some time since most have seen them. It’s a testament to the festival organizers for having them in the line up, the nostalgia tip alone will work wonders for the slightly older attendees.

Kim Churchill – Garibaldi Stage @ 4:15PM
Having graced some of Australia’s biggest festival’s stages, Kim Churchill. His guitar skills are marveled at and as a busker, Kim made a name for himself. Go check out what the fuss is all about.

Sweet Thing – Stawamus Stage @ 4:50PM
With a sound consistently compared to Fleetwood Mac, the Toronto bred group Sweet Thing thus far have had their music most recognizable from the movie “Easy A” with the song “Change of Seasons,” you’ll probably also recognize “Dance Mother.”

Emily Haines & James Shaw – Garibaldi Stage @ 5:15PM
Emily Haines & James Shaw will be performing a live acoustic set in advance of their traditional set as Metric being performed on the Sunday (21st). Any fan of Emily Haines or James Shaw (well, Metric) should inscribe this set in stone to ensure they don’t miss out on a spectacular performance. While you’re at it don’t forget to check out our quick interviews with both artists from back in ’05 (Emily Haines Interview & James Shaw Interview)

Shane Koyczan – Stawamus Stage @ 5:40PM / 8:00PM
The spoken word artist and author Shane Koyczan will be performing the most amount of times during Live At Squamish, and so there’s absolutely no excuse if you miss him. If that’s the case, it’s because you were deliberately avoiding. He has two sets on the first day and two on the second. Take in one of his sets, they’re short and expected to astound.

Hey Ocean! – Stawamus Stage @ 6:00PM
Hey Ocean! are one of Vancouver’s next big bands. They’ve been together a few years now and have been continually gaining steam, if you’re prefer rock to rap, they’ll be head to head with Kyprios on the Garibaldi stage. The choice is yours.

Kyprios – Garibaldi Stage @ 6:20PM
Lots has changed over the years for North Vancouver’s Kyprios over the years. Having performed at New York’s renowned Nuyorican Poetry Cafe and signing with Sony, Kyprios was heralded as Canada’s Eminem in terms of potential status. Sadly that path didn’t pan out, but regardless Kyprios continues to leave audiences in awe after his stunning sets. Check out our Kyprios Interview from 2004.

Shad – Garibaldi Stage @ 7:10PM
Having beaten out arguably last year’s biggest Canadian artist (Drake) to win a Juno award, Shad‘s level of exposure went through the roof. The Vancouver MC embarked upon a US tour and has been engaging audiences around North America. Being so close to Squamish, it’s only befitting that Shad take the stage in his first performance at the festival. Not to be missed.

Stars – Stawamus Stage @ 7:00PM
As you can see shown in the video MVRemix shot of Stars‘ live performance during the music festivities at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the indie pop group are best heard live. The group’s members also help comprise Broken Social Scene and though originally from Toronto, they’re now situated in Montreal.

John Butler Trio – Stawamus Stage @ 8:20PM
Having been making music for over a decade, and hailing from Australia, the John Butler Trio, an ever changing band comprising of John Butler and two other people are inevitably going to be putting on one hell of a show. Having seen stages worldwide, Butler has learned a thing or two about how to impress the festival circuit. Squamish awaits!

Girl Talk – Stawamus Stage @ 9:40PM
When MVRemix first caught up with Girl Talk, he was only just starting to gain attention. Several years later and he’s selling out huge venues and hypnotizing massive audiences. In the prime-time evening festival slot, be sure to take in his set. Before you do so though, take a minute or two to read over our ol’ Girl Talk Interview

My!Gay!Husband – Garibaldi Stage
Though we’re not sure of the exact set time, East Van’s My!Gay!Husband will be performing his brand of club/indie pop mixes. We expect he’ll be on later in the evening, and as per usual, be prepared for ravers to soak up the set.

Sweet Soul Burlesque – Garibaldi Stage @ 8:10PM
Although many women say they’re interested in burlesque dance, any man that read’s that word thinks potentially different thoughts and of course will be immediately intrigued. Sweet Soul Burlesque are Western Canada’s longest running professional neo-burlesque troupe. Founded in 2003 the troupe perform to a variety of different music, from Hip Hop to Punk.

Andy Clockwork – Garibaldi Stage @ 8:20PM
Since 1996 Mr. Andy Clockwork has been DJ’ing funk based sets, regularly mixing several genres of electronic music. The Vancouver based DJ will kick the dance vibe up a notch outside the Garibaldi stage as the tempo increases for Live at Squamish’s Saturday night.

Tommie Sunshine – Garibaldi Stage @ 9:20PM
Originally from Chicago, now residing in Brooklyn, Tommie Sunshine is a seasoned veteran in the electronic rock remix scene. The DJ/Producer/songwriter has been putting in the rounds for a while now and has close ties to the hugely successful Ultra records. Not to mention he also was involved in the music production for a little known game called Dance Dance Revolution.

Donald Glaude – Garibaldi Stage @ 10:30PM
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top House DJ’s, Donald Glaude will be closing the first night of the festival. Traditionally dance DJ’s/acts finish off festival nights, I’m guessing it’s not because their audience stereotypically dabbles in certain substances… Regardless, Glaude appears certain to keep crowds engaged late into the night. Hopefully not too late though, they’ve got to be back at 1:00PM on Sunday for Henry Mah or George Osei.

Don’t miss Emily Haines & James Shaw’s acoustic set, Kyprios, Shad, Stars and Girl Talk

DeLuna Fest and Five Flags Tourism Group are excited to announce multi-platinum Grammy winners Linkin Park, on their only Fall show date, as headliners at this year’s festival and the band also announced their inclusion via an online video- see it here.

Swedish sensations The Sounds, mash-up master/dance party starter Girl Talk and world renowned DJ Diplo are also confirmed to perform the music festival taking place on the gorgeous sugar-white sands of Pensacola Beach, FL, October 14th, 15th, and 16th. Other acts confirmed to play DeLuna Fest’s mainstages include Weezer, Jane’s Addiction, The Shins, Cut Copy, Cake, Stars, Matt & Kim, Big Boi, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, Manchester Orchestra, New Pornographers, The Airborne Toxic Event and many, many more. In addition to main stage performances, the Heritage Jazz & Blues Tent will host legendary singer Bettye LaVette, Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers and many more. In all, over 80 bands and 50k festival goers will be part of America’s Original Beach Party on Pensacola Beach this October.

Tickets are on sale now for only $149 for all three days, all stages and in/out privileges. VIP weekend passes are also available and include all stages, in/out privileges, all access to VIP lounges, complimentary beverages, VIP only events, premiere viewing areas and an exclusive kick off party on October 13th. Lodging could not be easier as festival goers can book a stay at beachfront properties located right on the DeLuna Fest site. Early bird sales are sold out, additional special ticket/room package rates are still available. Visit http://www.delunafest.com/tickets for more information.

DeLuna Fest and Five Flags Tourism Group also announce partnerships with Surfrider Foundation and the USO Northwest Florida for the 2011 festival. A portion of this year’s ticket sales will be donated to Surfrider and to the USO to aid both agencies in their continued efforts for betterment of the environment and the support of our service men and women, respectively.

Visit http://lineup.delunafest.com/ to view the full 2011 DeLuna Fest line up which includes:
The Airborne Toxic Event, Anders Osbourne, Antoine Knight, Asobi Seksu, AWOLNATION, Bad Books, Bear Hands, Bettye LaVette, Big Boi, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Blackbells, CAKE, Cold War Kids, Colour Revolt, The Constellations, Cowboy Mouth, Cut Copy, Dinosaur Feathers, Diplo, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dirty Heads, DLP, Dragoon, Eerie Rockwell, Free The Robots, Gary Fields, Ghostland Observatory, GIVERS, Girl Talk, Griffin House, Grouplove, Hands, The Hood Internet, Honey Island Swamp Band, The Icarus Effect, The Infamous Stringdusters, Jane’s Addiction, JJ Grey & MoFro, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights, June in January, K. Flay, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Kevin Devine, Kitt Lough, Ladytron, The Limousines, Linkin Park, The Listening, The Little Death, Manchester Orchestra, Matt & Kim, Motopony, Mr. Fahrenheit, MUTEMATH, The New Pornographers, Nico Vega, Nicos Gun, Paloma, Papa Grows Funk, The Parlotones, PS I Love You, Ra Ra Riot, Rehab, The Revivalists, Robbers On High Street, Royal Bangs, Saints of Valory, Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs, The Shins, Sleeper Agent, The Sounds, Stars, Still Corners, The Stone Foxes, Telekinesis, Tim Lauglin’s New Orleans All-Stars, Toubab Krewe, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, Wallpaper., Wanda Jackson, The War on Drugs, Weezer, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band

LIVE at Squamish 2011: Final Event Reminder

It’s almost here! Virgin Mobile presents LIVE at Squamish outdoor music festival, organized by brand.LIVE , will be taking place this weekend on August 20th and 21st. Expect more than 30 amazing musical acts, cool events, awesome food and a community atmosphere all weekend long.

“The 2011 festival is shaping up to be even better than last year,” said brand.LIVE Senior Vice President of Production Paul Runnals. “We have an amazing line up of artists performing at this year’s festival, and being set against such a beautiful backdrop, the weekend promises to be something really special,” he said.

Tickets are still available and won’t break the bank. A full-event pass is $149, and with all the artists in the line-up, that works out to about $5 per band. Prices jump to $190 for weekend and $110 for single day passes Friday at midnight – so get your passes NOW!
Here’s a tentative schedule for the weekend:

Saturday, Aug. 20

· Stawamus Stage
o Girl Talk
o John Butler Trio
o Stars
o Hey Ocean!
o Sweet Thing
o She Stole My Beer

· Garibaldi Stage
o Donald Glaude
o Tommie Sunshine
o Andy Clockwork
o My!Gay!Husband
o Shad
o Kyprios
o Emily Haines & James Shaw
o Kim Churchill
o The Proper Villains

Sunday, Aug. 21

· Stawamus Stage
o Weezer
o Metric
o Black Mountain
o The Dudes
o The Zolas
o Bend Sinister
o Brasstronaut
· Garibaldi Stage
o Major Lazer
o Doc Martin
o Dubtribe Sound System
o Luke McKeehan
o Guilty About Girls
o Panda’s Watch
o The Belle Game

Gates open at 1:00pm for VIP and 2:00pm for regular ticket holders.

Other must-see attractions at LIVE at Squamish:

· Silent Disco: Party-goers can listen and dance to their favourite tunes on over 200 wireless headphones.

· Bellmont Barber Shop: Cool down and get your hair cut at the festival’s barbershop with Vancouver’s best blues guitarist Rich Hope. Includes acoustic performances by Rich himself, plus local favourites: Kuba Oms, Kim Churchill, Kate Morgan, the Zolas and other surprise performances

· Virgin Mobile Cafe: Stay relaxed by checking out some acoustic performances and get connected on laptop stations at the festival.

Willamette Week’s Musicfest NW announces this year’s festival line-up which will be held at various venues around the Portland, OR metropolitan area on September 16, 17, 18 & 19. Do note all shows are first come first-served. Please visit http://musicfestnw.com/tix for details on performers and where to purchase passes.

MFNW continues its tradition of supporting diverse genres that will appeal to every music fan. It’s also a great opportunity to visit one of the best cities in America.

On the heels of the most successful MFNW to date, MFNW 2009 launches with nothing but the hope of a bigger and better festival. MFNW’s ultimate aim is to provide Portland with a unique and special musical experience that features all types of acts including nationally renowned artists while still honoring and supporting the special musical scene of the Northwest.

Seattle’s KEXP radio will broadcast live from Portland at The Doug Fir Lounge September 17-18 during MFNW, with live performances from artists playing the festival. Listener-powered and community supported, KEXP not only serves Seattle but also has a large loyal listener base in Portland and around the world who tune into WWW.KEXP.ORG through online streaming.

Last year, MFNW 2008 national talent roster boasted acts such TV on The Radio, Vampire Weekend, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, M Ward, Mogwai, The Fuck Buttons and so many more. MFNW also saw a double in attendance last year and brought in more community partnerships than ever before. The last eight years of the annual September festival have unquestionably met that goal, as MFNW has become synonymous with the region’s best music, while experiencing 25-30% growth in attendance.

How MFNW came to be one of Portland’s biggest music festivals began with the departure of the North By Northwest music festival (NXNW), in 2000. Willamette Week, Portland’s alternative weekly and longtime co-producer of NXNW, teamed up with members of the local and regional music scene to create a new music festival in 2001: MFNW.

Confirmed to play are national & regional acts (more acts to follow in the coming months):

Sunny Day Real Estate

Explosions In Sky

Bad Brains

Girl Talk

The Get Up Kids

Will Sheff (of Okkervil River)

Dirty Three

Monotonix

Mudhoney

Frightened Rabbit

Twilight Sad

Dillinger Four

Swollen Members

Grand Duchy

Beach House

John Vanderslice

The Long Winters

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Pink Mountaintops

OM

Portugal The Man

Viva Voce

The Builders and The Butchers

Langhorne Slim

Bobby Bare Jr.

Chairlift

Loch Lomond

Team Dresch

Erase Errata

J.D. Twitch (Optimo)

Eluvium

Youth Group

Titus Andronicus

The Zeros

Mount Eerie

Trash Talk

Despise You

Crom

Japanther

Mayer Hawthorne & The County

Grouper

Richard Swift

Austin Lucas

Amazing Baby

Brother Reade

Love Language

Anders Parker

The Morning Benders

The Miniature Tigers

Common Market

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Say Hi

Rocky Votolato

Cymbals Eats Guitars

Copy

Red Fang

Saviours

Norfolk & Western

Nurses

Explode Into Colors

Portland Cello Project

Guidance Counselor

Fences

And much much more….

“Following the aesthetic of Negativland and John Oswald, Realistic borrows material from every possible source: classic rock, disco, self-improvement records, soap operas [and more]. Towning demonstrates a knack for unconventional looping, sonic accumulation, and a good joke.” – All Music Guide

Realistic’s third album, Perpetual Memory Loss, features sixteen tracks of intricate sample-based compositions – a beautifully sophisticated celebration of found sound, recorded media, technology, and electronic composition. Slices of field recordings mesh with surreal electronic melodies, which creates enjoyably odd multi-layered musical fun. Realistic is the guise of sound collage artist James Towning, by day a Brooklyn-based motion-graphics designer.

With this release, the Illegal Art label continues to challenge the restrictions of copyright as perceived by the larger music industry. The uniqueness of Realistic in comparison to other artists on the label (Girl Talk, Oh Astro, Steinski) further illustrates that sample-based music is strikingly some of the most original, innovative, and exciting music being made in the 21st century. Illegal Art claims Fair Use for all of its releases and has professional legal counsel nearby if needed.

Towning has been a fan of electronic music since his college days, mostly the UK scene. Artists like Human League, Soft Cell, Cabaret Voltaire, Wire, Art of Noise, and Meat Beat Manifesto were early influences, while Mu-ziq and Kid Koala can be counted as contemporary ones. In a recent interview Towning says, “I also go off on binges of Queen, ELO, XTC, The Beatles, and Bowie.”

A recurring source in Towning’s compositions is the nostalgic sounds of 70′s and 80′s techno-pop and rock artists that were personally influential over the years. As well as using computer-based waveform editing and sampling, Towning carries a portable digital recorder to capture various audio environments on a daily basis. Whether the source samples are found around the house, on TV, on a busy Chinatown street, or a crackly sound effects record, Realistic‘s juxtaposition of head-spaces always creates something surreal and altogether new.

“There’s such a rich texture of sound and visuals in New York. I’m constantly entertained with the sounds that I record,” said Towning in a recent interview. An ever-increasing collection of thrift-store records and cassettes is another likely source of audio inspiration. “I love composing little sound pieces using whatever source material I choose. It’s a cathartic, fun, and essential part of my life.”

With Perpetual Memory Loss, the Realistic sound has evolved into a tighter and more structured mesh of musical patterns and mangled beats. Tiny rhythmic patterns and subtle textural layers are revealed upon repeated listening. Sampled dialogue is used more sparingly than in previous Realistic releases allowing the musical voices to be heard more clearly. Each complex track is its own self-contained little world, with disjointed characters, funky grooves, and odd but familiar musical samples. Throughout the 45-minute album, expressionistic patterns of sound twist and fold into one another as the tracks evolve. At times the entire audio spectrum degrades and distorts in groovy syncopation. The tracks on Perpetual Memory Loss are more complex and refined, but what remains is the underlying sense of humor, rich production, and an offbeat composition style that is distinctively Realistic.

Regarding the album’s unique artwork, Towning explains, “The CD art was designed by me. It consists of many thumbnails of snapshots I’ve taken over the past three years or so. That timeframe coincides with the production of the audio tracks, too. The snapshots represent memories in a very literal way. They vary in subject matter from pictures of my cats, still-lifes, industrial landscapes, detailed textures, and random found art. The inside artwork reveals more snapshot thumbnails in varying degrees of clarity.”

Towning further elaborates, “Beneath the CD, a collage of found images and photographs explodes and bleeds over into the snapshots. The technique of collaging with found and personal imagery reflects the style of the audio tracks too. The primary colors of red and green that I chose were inspired by and derived from a vintage Christmas card I received from a friend a few years ago. Again, a nostalgic reference.”

As for the title Perpetual Memory Loss, Towning says it “speaks to the process of growing older and the mind’s ability to store, lose, and constantly distort memories. And how sometimes those memories are recalled in a random and overlapping order. As we get older, more and more memories are stored while others are buried deep or lost. The title also references the similarities between the ever expanding human mind and a computer’s finite hard drive and its ability to retrieve random and corrupt data.”

Videos From Previous Realistic Releases:

“Private Moments”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJAaDZZawLo

“Music for Voyeurs”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzIUnevtrFc

“Angel 2001”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ0eKMJKnm0

“Spectacle of Slop”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bTYS2HQqqI

Perpetual Memory Loss Tracklisting:

Release Date: October 23, 2007

01. The Camera Track (MP3)
02. Music in the Round
03. Conversation Hearts
04. Post-Corporate Fantasy
05. Amazing Fall
06. Welcome to Heaven
07. Brand Name Sunday
08. Library Music
09. Wandering Aimlessly
10. Have a Nice Trip
11. April and August Sixth
12. There is Always More
13. In Loving Memory
14. Snowday Plaything (MP3)
15. The Numbers Test
16. Uneventful Fall

Although you’re more likely to see Gillis strip down to his skivvies at a Girl Talk show, half a million people saw Gillis exposed in June’s “Man of The Year” issue of Playgirl Magazine. When discussing what he likes to do in his free time, Gillis says, “I enjoy swimming, playing basketball, lighting off fireworks, snacking it out, and bro’n down.” About the issue, Gillis says, “I didn’t know it was out, and a friend actually spotted it in a women’s restroom at this pretty dive-y bar in Pittsburgh. She didn’t know I was in it, she was just browsing. Pretty funny situation.”

What some might find even funnier is the fact that Gillis ate hot dogs with Newsweek journalist Steven Levy and Congressman Mike Doyle shortly after the Playgirl piece hit stands. Levy and Congressman Doyle flew to Pittsburgh to meet Gillis at local hot dog joint Franktuary to discuss Doyle’s recent statements supporting Girl Talk ’s sample based music on the floor of Congress. Read all about it (LINK).

Gillis recently was granted the freedom to do the above mentioned things, as he recently resigned from his job as a biomedical engineer that up until now has also kept him from taking on more remix projects and touring on a regular basis.

“I couldn’t keep up with both worlds,” Gillis says. “It was just too much. I keep getting sick because I’m in a constant state of running somewhere else. Music has always been my main interest, but I never really thought of it as a possible career. I think I’m extremely lucky to be in the position I am in now, where I can dedicate at least a year of my life to music and stay afloat.”

According to Gillis’ booking agent Sam Hunt at The Windish Agency, “It shouldn’t have too great of an impact on his live schedule. There’s something awesome about only playing on the weekends, and we’d like to do our best to keep that going,” Hunt says. “However, there have been a number of uniquely awesome opportunities that have been impossible because they took place during the week. Also, there’s a chance he’ll be able to do a more thorough/actual tour involving multiple consecutive shows!”

Gillis’s resignation also granted him the opportunity to go on tour with Dan Deacon, more flexibility to perform at special events during the week and also more time to work on Trey Told ‘Em, a band he started with friend and collaborator Frank Musarra (Hearts of Darknesses). The duo has already completed one remix for Tokyo Police Club, and has many more in the works including tracks for Simian Mobile Disco and Professor Murder.

Girl Talk was one of the highlights of this year’s Coachella festival (VIDEO), with Paris Hilton (mere weeks before her incarceration!) and Perry Farrell dancing alongside him and throwing confetti. As usual, Gillis had a crew of dancers join him on stage, with gigantic bright yellow balloons tied to their wrists. Girl Talk was also a hit at this month’s Bonnaroo Festival and the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona.

Who ever thought you would see the day when the words Playgirl, Newsweek and Paris Hilton could all be used in one of our press releases? In true Girl Talk fashion, he never ceases to amaze.

In addition to the tour with Dan Deacon, Gillis is excited to be playing several more summer festivals, including Pitchfork and the Winnipeg and Montreal Jazz Festivals. He will also put his fan base to the test this July by playing Red Rocks in Colorado with Violent Femmes and Blues Traveler, soon to be followed by a show with Widespread Panic in Boston. This just further illustrates Girl Talk ’s notorious “down for whatever” attitude about music.

Girl Talk Live:

* w/ Dan Deacon

07/04 Morrison, CO Red Rock Pavillion
07/14 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival
07/18 Boston, MA Bank Of America Pavilion
07/27 Seattle, WA Capitol Hill Block Party
07/28 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival
08/04 Baltimore, MD Pimlico Race Park
08/09 Indianapolis, IN Talbott Street
08/10 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
08/24 Tulsa, OK Cains Ballroom
09/08 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
09/12 Toronto, ON Phoenix*
09/15 New York, NY Webster Hall*
09/17 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church*
09/20 Charlottesville, VA Satellite Ballroom*
09/21 Asheville, NC Orange Peel*
09/22 Atlanta, GA MJQ Concourse*
09/27 San Diego, CA Epicentre*
09/28 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex*
09/29 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore*
10/04 Lawrence, KS The Granada Theatre
10/05 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
10/06 Iowa City, IA The Picador
10/11 Calgary, AB The Warehouse
10/12 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
11/01 Houston, TX Engine Room
11/02 Dallas, TX Palladium Loft

Girl Talk

The transcripts from an interview conducted with DJ and Pittsburgh native, Gregg Gillis aka Girl Talk. Although he explains that he is not in fact a DJ, Girl Talk knows how to get that booty to shake right thurr, plus, he also makes you think. After six years of making music, with three albums to show for it, Gregg Gillis has taken control of the Pittsburgh music scene with his dirty, bouncy, and seductively truthful/possibly illegal sampling and sound presentation. Ooh baby, I like it raw and by raw, I mean Girl Talk.